


New Beginning

by Ellana17



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff and Smut, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-11 20:38:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17453891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellana17/pseuds/Ellana17
Summary: The woman stood up slowly and lowered the hood of her cloak, revealing a pair of beautiful hazel eyes, and dark, curly hair. Kassandra’s heart jumped in her chest.





	New Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> So first of all you have to know that I’m totally biased as every time I see Aspasia I get the most ridiculous heart eyes and I think she should have had a lot more screen time in the game so bear with me here.
> 
> Beware the heavy spoilers!

Kassandra had never thought she would get to travel the sea with her family but here she was, back in Sparta after several weeks at sea surrounded by her step-father, her adoptive brother, her long lost mother, and her little brother.

It had been a long time since Kassandra had had a home, and now she had two: her boat and their house in Sparta.

Her life as a misthios had always satisfied her but Kassandra was glad to finally have a real house to go back to after a tough job.

Kassandra froze when she caught sight of the hooded figure waiting in front of their house. The misthios guessed by the size of her body that the person wrapped in the deep purple cloak, face hidden by a hood, was a woman. Every fiber of her body was warning her about the possible threat and yet, she dared hope for a second that the woman was the one she wanted to see more than anyone else.

The woman stood up slowly and lowered the hood of her cloak, revealing a pair of beautiful hazel eyes, and dark, curly hair. Kassandra’s heart jumped in her chest.

“Is that Perikles’…” Nikolaos started but Kassandra did not pay him any mind, her sole focus on Aspasia. Kassandra wondered what had brought the woman here.

“Kassandra,” the woman said finally.

“Aspasia,” Kassandra whispered.

 

 

The first time Kassandra had seen Aspasia, she had been stunned by her beauty. Kassandra knew well enough that she had a soft spot – some would even call it a weakness – for beautiful women. She indulged her urges from time to time but always tried to stay focused on the task at hand.

They eyes had caught for a second and Kassandra had frozen. The misthios had felt as though Aspasia was looking right into her soul, judging, assessing and drawing conclusions about her. The woman radiated authority. It was clear she was the mistress of the house. Kassandra had soon regained her composure, focusing on the answers Aspasia could provide regarding her mother’s whereabouts.

 

When Kassandra had first realized that Aspasia was the Ghost of Kosmos, she had refused to believe it. The past months had taken another meaning entirely. Helping Kassandra find her mother, Perikles’ assassination by Deimos, Phoebe’s death… Kassandra had allowed herself a moment of weakness – of selfishness – by kissing Aspasia before killing her. She had no other choice… The woman was dangerous.

As Aspasia talked, explaining her choices and her struggle within the Cult, her disagreements with Cleon, Kassandra kept wondering about Aspasia’s true intensions. Finding a superior man to lead them all seemed like an unattainable dream, Kassandra had seen enough of the world and mankind to know that. Bringing order would not make things better, Kassandra was sure of it. However, she could not find it in herself to end Aspasia’s life. Not when her heart jumped in her chest every time she caught sight of the woman’s breathtaking eyes.

Kassandra’s fate was to bring balance between chaos and order and allow mankind to move forward. However, balance implied both sides to exist. She could let Aspasia go without endangering the world. She would. She could not take her life.

Aspasia had gifted Kassandra her own circlet. For luck, the woman had said.

Kassandra had thought she would never see the other woman again.

 

 

Kassandra reached for the woman in front of her but thought better of it and lightly touched her shoulder instead even as she longed to kiss the other woman again.

“You kept it,” Aspasia noticed, pointing at the golden circlet around Kassandra’s forehead.

Kassandra’s hand went to her forehead self-consciously. “Of course,” she answered. “It was a gift.”

Stentor suddenly cleared his throat, and made Kassandra realize that she had effectively forgotten her whole family was standing behind her.

“Who is this?” Deimos asked in a gruff voice.

Kassandra looked between her brother and Aspasia, at a loss for words.

“Hello, Deimos,” Aspasia said calmly.

Kassandra saw her brother tense at once upon hearing Aspasia’s voice.

“You…” he exclaimed, reaching for his weapon.

Kassandra grabbed her brother’s arm firmly. “Deimos, no!” she exclaimed, trying to make him lower his weapon.

Her brother stared at her in surprise. “Do you know who she is?” he asked, pointing menacingly at Aspasia.

“She’s the woman I love,” Kassandra countered, glaring at him.

“She’s a fucking cultist!” Deimos roared. “Worse than that, she’s their fucking leader!”

“She’s been helping me bring down the Cult,” Kassandra argued.

“She’s been using you!” Deimos countered at once. “Just like she’s been using me all those years! She can’t be trusted.”

Kassandra glared at her brother menacingly. “If you touch one hair on her head…” she said through gritted teeth.

“What? You’ll kill me?”

“Kassandra! Alexios! Please!” Myrrine finally exclaimed, stepping in between her two children.

Deimos grunted, shook his head in disgust and marched into the house without looking back. Nikolaos and Stentor followed him inside, casting a few curious glances to Aspasia on the way.

“Kassandra,” Myrrine said.

“Not now, Mater, please.”

Myrrine nodded and entered the house, leaving Kassandra alone with Aspasia.

“Aspasia, what are you doing here?” the misthios asked quietly.

The Athenian crossed her arms over her chest. “My contact in Naxos told me you were heading back to Sparta and I decided to come and meet you there.”

Kassandra frowned. “Xenia told you about my whereabouts?” she asked curiously.

“Xenia and I keep contact regularly.”

“And she told you where I was?”

“She told me you were going back to Sparta after your latest work for her.”

Kassandra frowned. “Does Xenia know you’re the Ghost of Kosmos?” she asked.

“I’m not anymore,” Aspasia answered calmly.

“But does she know?”

“She’s not a member,” Aspasia pointed out.

Kassandra crossed her arms over her chest. Aspasia’s laconic answers were starting to get on her nerves. “That’s a no then. But wait, we didn’t come directly from Naxos, I had to make a pit stop on the way here. How long have you been waiting?”

Aspasia suddenly looked uneasy. Kassandra did not remember Aspasia looking anything less than confident and regal.

“Two weeks,” Aspasia told her simply.

Kassandra stared at her. Two weeks. Aspasia had been waiting for her in Sparta for two weeks.

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. I know you have urgent business to attend to,” Kassandra said in a harsh voice.

Aspasia shook her head weakly. “I’ve been… worried about you,” the woman acknowledged. “Not knowing if you were dead or alive. I thought you would already be in Sparta and when I realized you weren’t, I…”

Kassandra stared at her in disbelief. “You were worried for me?”

Aspasia bristled. “Of course I was. Your… occupation is a dangerous one.”

Kassandra laughed. “But an exciting one,” she countered as she led Aspasia inside the house.

Kassandra led Aspasia to the dinning table – where Nikolaos and Stentor where discussing political strategy – and walked to her mother.

“Where is Deimos?” Kassandra asked.

“He went hunting,” Myrrine answered. “Kassandra…”

“I know what you’re going to say, Mater. Deimos already made it quite clear what he’ll do to Aspasia if given the chance.”

“And can you blame him? Kassandra look at me in the eyes and tell me you trust this woman.”

Kassandra’s shoulders dropped. “I don’t know how to explain it,” she admitted. “I trust my instinct and it never failed me before. I’ve spent my whole life assessing people. I’m not naïve, I know the only reason Aspasia helped me found you was because she knew I’d fight the Cult twice as hard to protect my family. I know who she is and what she’s done and that’s why I can tell you that she’s not as bad as you think she is.”

“You said you loved her,” Myrrine pointed out.

“It’s… complicated,” Kassandra sighed.

Myrrine’s eyes briefly went to Nikolaos. She nodded slowly. “True. You should talk to your brother,” Myrrine added. Kassandra looked at her in surprise. “If Aspasia is to stay with us for the time being, you should explain things to your brother. Without your bow,” she added as an afterthought.

Kassandra laughed. “I’ll try.”

Myrrine nodded before joining the table.

“We need wine,” Kassandra mumbled. “Lots and lots of wine.”

The misthios poured wine in Nikolaos’ cup in the hope of getting her whole family drunk enough to avoid talking about the mess she had gotten herself into.

“An Athenian in a Spartan home in these troubled times,” Nikolaos pointed out quietly. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

Kassandra did not answer. The truth was she was not sure of anything anymore.

 

 

Kassandra finally found Deimos in the mountains surrounding the city. Her brother had not gone hunting as their mother had thought. Instead, Kassandra found him in a cave she had told him about a few days prior. Kassandra had found the cave and the injured lioness living there while she was in Sparta, recovering from her arena-induced injuries. The misthios had taken care and hand-fed the lioness for weeks until the animal trusted her enough to let her visit even now that she had given birth to three beautiful cubs. The cubs had immediately taken to Deimos the first time her brother had followed her to the cave without her knowing. Since that moment, the two of them had come together to talk or simply sit there in companionable silence.

Kassandra sat down next to her brooding brother and watched as the cubs ran around the cave.

“How can you trust her?” Deimos finally asked.

“I don’t know,” Kassandra admitted. “I just do.”

Deimos snorted. “You’re not thinking with your head,” he pointed out.

“I love her.”

“I wasn’t talking about your heart,” he added with a smirk.

Kassandra gaped at him before laughing out loud and shoving her brother’s shoulder playfully.

“She doesn’t want to take power for herself,” Kassandra explained when she stopped laughing. “She truly believes she can find someone wise enough to lead the country into a new era.” She looked at her brother but Deimos would not meet her eyes. “She’s been trying to bring the Cult down from the inside, you know. That’s why she helped me find them,” she added. “I killed the people that took you away from me and I would do it again in a heartbeat, just like I would spare Aspasia’s life.”

“I don’t like it,” Deimos finally grunted.

“I know,” Kassandra sighed.

“She did not order Perikles’ death,” Deimos admitted reluctantly. Kassandra stared at him with wide eyes. “Cleon did. Aspasia already controlled Perikles so getting rid of him was unnecessary. She might even have loved him after all but Cleon hated Perikles, he wanted to take his place as leader of Athens. I think Cleon went behind Aspasia’s back. I can see it now.”

“Thank you for telling me this.”

 

 

The house was so crowded that night that Kassandra elected to sleep on a cot on the roof. After all these years as a misthios, the woman preferred to sleep under the stars.

Kassandra could not sleep. She kept thinking about her conversation with her brother, about what he had told her about Aspasia. The fact that Aspasia herself was inside the house at that moment did not help at all. Kassandra kept wondering what would happen to them now. She had so much to tell her but so little time.

When she heard footsteps coming up the stairs, Kassandra tensed immediately and reached for the knife under her pillow. She dropped the knife when the realized that Aspasia was standing above her in a white nightgown, her hair cascading along her shoulders.

“You should know better than to sneak up on a misthios in the middle of the night,” Kassandra told her.

Aspasia took a step closer. “I was hoping you’d still be awake,” she told her quietly.

Kassandra looked at her in surprise. Then, she shifted to the side enough to let Aspasia sit on the cot next to her.

“And why is that?” she asked.

“We didn’t really have time to talk after I got here,” Aspasia pointed out.

Kassandra sighed. “How is your search for the perfect leader going?”

Aspasia shook her head. “I didn't mean that kind of talk.”

“What did you want to talk about then?” Kassandra asked gently.

Aspasia leaned over and tucked a lock of hair behind Kassandra’s ear. “When your family asked who I was, you said you loved me,” the woman said simply.

“I did,” Kassandra acknowledged. “I shouldn’t have, I'm sorry. The truth is I’ve missed you, you must have realized that by now.”

“I have. I also have been waiting for you to come back for two weeks, Kassandra. And yet you fail to see how much I’ve missed you as well. These past weeks have been the worst of my entire life, not knowing if you were dead or alive. I kept thinking about the last time we met and that I would never get the chance to tell you I would never willingly use your feelings for me as a mean to an end.”

“I know you wouldn’t. I trust you, Aspasia.”

“A dangerous thing to say in your line of work. Your good heart will be the death of you.”

“I'd rather die for a good cause than in a meaningless fight,” Kassandra said.

“I'd rather you didn't die at all,” Aspasia told her gently. “You know, I never believed people could be inherently good until I laid eyes on you. Do you remember the first time we met?”

“I remember how stunning you looked and how inadequate it made me feel to be in the same room as all these highly educated people at you symposium.”

“Inadequate?” Aspasia exclaimed. “Kassandra, you know more about the world than the corrupt and lazy men who call themselves leaders. You are one of a kind, my love,” she said, putting her hand on Kassandra’s cheek gently.

“I’ve never felt so close to anyone before,” Kassandra admitted. “A misthios life does not leave much room to long-term relationships.”

“I’d like to be part of your life, if you let me,” Aspasia said.

“I would love nothing more, but how?”

“I think this can wait until tomorrow,” Aspasia whispered, gazing at Kassandra warmly.

Kassandra nodded as she slowly leaned in toward the older woman, cupping her face between her hands tenderly and finally pressing her lips to Aspasia’s.

As they kissed softly and tenderly, Kassandra felt no urgency, as if they had all the time in the world. Even if they did not have all of eternity, they still had the whole night ahead of them and, Kassandra hoped foolishly, maybe even a little bit more. They could take their time enjoying the feeling of their body pressed against each other.

As they kissed slowly, lingeringly, Kassandra’s hands went to Aspasia’s face, taking in the shape of her delicate features. Kassandra moved her lips away from Aspasia’s to kiss the other woman’s cheek, her eyelids, her temple and finally her forehead before finding her lips again. Her hands tangled into Aspasia’s soft curls and brought the other woman even closer.

Kassandra felt Aspasia’s hands against her chest and allowed the woman to guide her until her back was pressed against the cot once more. Aspasia put one leg on each side of Kassandra’s waist and started moving her hips slowly. The feeling of Aspasia moving against her was intoxicating.

Kassandra slid both hands under Aspasia’s white nightgown, caressing the smooth skin of the woman’s inner thigh and going up until her hands stopped on Aspasia’s ass and gripped firmly.

When Aspasia’s lips left Kassandra’s mouth, the younger woman could not help but chase after them. Aspasia grabbed the end of Kassandra’s gown and lifted it above Kassandra’s waist, making her shudder.

Aspasia took advantage of the fact that she was in fact on top of Kassandra to open the woman’s legs gently, straddling her. Kassandra could feel how wet they both were and the feeling nearly made her lose her mind. She moaned Aspasia’s name as the woman moved her waist rhythmically, pressing against Kassandra. The woman’s hands slid under Kassandra’s gown to her chest and cupped her breasts, running her thumbs over Kassandra’s nipples. Kassandra’s hips jerked. She wanted more.

Kassandra reluctantly pulled her hands away from Aspasia’s ass and took the woman’s hands in her own, guiding them downward until both their hands were pressed against Kassandra’s lower belly.

“Please,” she gasped.

Aspasia seemed to understand at once. She moved away slightly but Kassandra could not bear the loss of Aspasia’s comforting weight above her. Her arms wrapped around Aspasia’s back and brought her close until Aspasia was laying flat over Kassandra. She pressed her hand against Kassandra’s sex and started to rub gently.

“Aspasia,” she breathed into the other woman’s ear. “I need to feel you inside me.”

She shuddered in pleasure when Aspasia’s finger made its way between her folds toward her wet entrance. Kassandra’s sex was pulsating in pleasure and anticipation. A deep moan passed through her lips when she finally felt Aspasia’s finger sliding inside her. She was so wet already, the older woman soon added another finger. Kassandra bit her lips to keep from moaning as Aspasia’s fingers moved inside her, caressing her. Aspasia’s pace was so torturously slow, Kassandra did not resist the urge to move her hips to meet Aspasia’s thrusts. Her grip around Aspasia’s back tightened as her breath became more and more shallow. She gasped and let her head fall against the cot with a thud. Her walls clenched around Aspasia’s fingers as waves of pleasure ran through her body.

Kassandra kissed Aspasia’s temple clumsily before drawing the other woman into a kiss that was all tongue. All Kassandra wanted was to feel the other woman close to her.

As she held Aspasia in her arms, Kassandra realized how much she had missed the other woman during their time apart. Kassandra knew letting her go a second time would be pure torture.

As they kissed some more, Kassandra tried not to think about what would happen the next morning. What they had at the moment would have to be enough.

Kassandra pressed both hands to Aspasia’s chest, gently guiding her until the woman’s back rested against the cot. Kassandra gripped the white gown and finished undressing her lover. She discarded the gown and took in the sight in front of her. Aspasia, sprawled on the cot, her brown hair framing her beautiful face, her round breasts and smooth skin shining under the stars.

Kassandra’s breath caught in her throat. Kneeling between Aspasia’s parted legs, Kassandra trailed kisses on her face, her breasts, her stomach, and the inside of her thighs. She pressed her mouth against Aspasia’s soft curls and smirked at hearing the deep moan that escaped the woman’s lips. She slid her tongue between Aspasia’s folds, tasting the wetness there. Aspasia’s hips jerked and Kassandra pressed a firm hand on the woman’s waist to keep her still as her tongue kept moving.

Kassandra glanced at Aspasia as the woman moaned and gasped, tangling her hands in Kassandra’s loose hair, pressing Kassandra’s face even closer to her. Kassandra reached for Aspasia’s hand and linked their fingers together, moving her tongue until she brought Aspasia over the edge.

Aspasia then tugged gently on Kassandra’s hair and brought their lips together in a soft kiss, wrapping her arm around Kassandra’s back as Kassandra wrapped her fingers around the wool blanket and pulled it over them both.

The last thing Kassandra remembered before falling asleep was pressing a kiss to Aspasia’s forehead.

 

When a feeble ray of sunshine hit Kassandra’s face the next morning, the misthios did not immediately opened her eyes. She was safe at home in Sparta, next to the woman she loved. Aspasia was running her hand through Kassandra’s loose hair, making her smile.

“I can usually tell when someone is watching me,” Kassandra said quietly without opening her eyes.

“And yet, you’re only waking up now,” Aspasia pointed out. “Are you getting soft, misthios?”

Kassandra stretched lazily and finally opened her eyes. The sight of Aspasia’s face shining in the soft morning light took her breath away. The previous night had not been a dream after all. Kassandra pressed a soft kiss to Aspasia’s neck, pressing her face into her lover’s hair to hide her smile.

“Must mean I trust you,” she finally said.

They laid side by side in complete silence for a long time, enjoying each other’s company until Aspasia finally broke the silence.

“I hope I didn’t cause a rift between you and your family. I didn’t think before coming here. I simply needed to see you.”

Kassandra shook her head. “It’s my fault. I should have told them about you.”

“I understand why you didn’t. I am to blame for what happened to your family after all.”

“Aspasia, no! You didn’t order the Cult to throw my brother off a malaka mountain. You weren’t even a member at the time!”

Aspasia smiled dejectedly. “Your brother has every right to hate me. I tried to use him. The only reason I didn’t was because Cleon had more power over him than I ever did.”

“My brother needs time to learn to trust you,” Kassandra said. She paused. “Are you planning on staying long enough for him to do so?” she asked finally.

Aspasia looked at Kassandra and brushed a finger against her cheek.

“I came to see you, Kassandra. Now I need to continue my journey.”

“Where to?” Kassandra asked.

“Messara. I will need a boat.”

“I have a boat,” Kassandra said at once. Aspasia glanced at her, surprised. “I could take you there.”

“You would?”

“Nights at sea can get quite cold, you know,” Kassandra pointed out. “You’ll need someone to keep you warm.”

Aspasia shook her head in disbelief. “And once in Messara?” she dared to ask.

“A misthios’ work is never done… but I’d follow you anywhere,” Kassandra said wholeheartedly.

Aspasia looked stunned. She leaned in, her dark hair brushing Kassandra’s cheek, and kissed the misthios passionately.

They did not talk for a while after that.

 

THE END


End file.
